devour
verb
de·vour
di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r 
dē-
devoured; devouring; devours
1
: to eat up greedily or ravenously
devoured the turkey and mashed potatoes
2
: to use up or destroy as if by eating
We are devouring the world's resources.
3
: to prey upon
devoured by guilt
4
: to enjoy avidly
devours books
devourer
noun
Examples of devour in a Sentence
He devoured everything on his plate.
The lions devoured their prey.
She devoured every golf magazine she could find.
He watched intently, devouring the scene before him with his eyes.
Recent Examples on the Web
As her right hand springs forth for an introduction, the 5ft 1in (156cm) midfielder looks as if she could be devoured by this boardroom chair.
—
Megan Feringa, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Stuck in a lifeboat for nearly three weeks, the four survivors ultimately resorted to devouring one of their boatmates in order to survive.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025
While floods were ravaging Valencia and fires devoured swathes of California, the nation’s newspapers filled their pages with editorials opposing climate action and renewable energy in particular.
—María Mendiluce, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Massive wildfires are currently sweeping through Los Angeles, leaving nearly 3,000 acres of land and more than 1,000 buildings devoured by flames, which have been exacerbated by gusts of up to 100 mph, multiple sources report.
—India Roby, Architectural Digest, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for devour 
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Megan Feringa, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Stuck in a lifeboat for nearly three weeks, the four survivors ultimately resorted to devouring one of their boatmates in order to survive.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025
While floods were ravaging Valencia and fires devoured swathes of California, the nation’s newspapers filled their pages with editorials opposing climate action and renewable energy in particular.
—María Mendiluce, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Massive wildfires are currently sweeping through Los Angeles, leaving nearly 3,000 acres of land and more than 1,000 buildings devoured by flames, which have been exacerbated by gusts of up to 100 mph, multiple sources report.
—India Roby, Architectural Digest, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for devour
Dictionary Entries Near devour
Cite this Entry
“Devour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devour. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
devour
verb
de·vour
di-ˈvau̇(ə)r
1
: to eat up greedily or hungrily
devoured everything on his plate
2
: to use up or destroy as if by eating
fire devoured the barn
3
: to enjoy eagerly
devour a book
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